THE Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday, June 16, 2022, that the National Capital Region (NCR) remains under “low risk” classification for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).In a statement, the DOH said that as of June 15, Metro Manila’s average daily attack rate (Adar) is still less than one per 100,000 population despite registering a positive two-week growth rate.“For an area to be classified under moderate risk, it should have a positive two-week growth rate (TWGR) and average daily attack rate of at least six average cases per day per 100K population,” DOH said“NCR would require at least 818 cases daily for two weeks to reach an Adar of six cases per 100K population,” it added.The agency said the healthcare utilization rate (HUCR) in the region, which is one of the metrics for the escalation of alert level, remains at low risk.The agency said this indicated that despite the increase in the number of cases, most of them were asymptomatic, mild or moderate, which can be attributed to the Covid-19 vaccination, boosters and adherence to health protocols.The health department said there should be moderate-risk HCUR for escalation to Alert Level 2 to happen.“What is important is the number of severe and critical hospital admissions. So long as these numbers remain low, we will stay at the current alert level while carefully monitoring the situation,” said DOH.The agency urged the public to obtain information only from official sources.The DOH advised all concerned to consult with the DOH first before making any forecasts and issuing statements that may cause unnecessary panic and harm among the public.The agency made the statement hours after Octa research fellow Guido David said that Metro Manila is already at moderate risk classification for Covid-19. (SunStar Philippines)